Children on Azamara...anything to do?

[beemergal]

On their website, I see no mention of children. Is this not the right cruise line if you have children along?

[lonestarsteve]

On their website, I see no mention of children. Is this not the right cruise line if you have children along?
Azamara has two smaller ships that are designed for adults. Although the small number of children on the ship seem to enjoy themselves there are no real activities to entertain active kids.

[capecodder2]

There is no entertainment for children, few children aboard most cruises, the pool is very small with no shallow end and adults in it will not appreciate splashing and game playing. I would definitely reconsider if you are looking for something for the children to do. Many adults choose these small ships because they are not family oriented.

[Jancruz]

I agree..we never see children aboard, my grandchildren would be bored stiff on Azamara
Jancruz1

[cwuer]

I would say it depends a lot on the age and maturity level of your children. I am going on the May 29th, 2010 sailing to Med. and Holy lands and I am taking my 3 children, but my children are more like young adults. I have a son that will be 21 and twin daughters that will be 17. They don't care a thing about any kind of kids activities. They love exploring the ports during the day and enjoy meeting new people and engaging in the lost art of good conversation while on ship. We have a group of friends and family with a couple other older teens and another 20 year old. I think any well behaved children should be welcomed no matter what their age. As long as you are not counting on other kids being around to help entertain them I would say "Go for it." They are certainly welcome in the pool with me.:)

[Jancruz]

I would say it depends a lot on the age and maturity level of your children. I am going on the May 29th, 2010 sailing to Med. and Holy lands and I am taking my 3 children, but my children are more like young adults. I have a son that will be 21 and twin daughters that will be 17. They don't care a thing about any kind of kids activities. They love exploring the ports during the day and enjoy meeting new people and engaging in the lost art of good conversation while on ship. We have a group of friends and family with a couple other older teens and another 20 year old. I think any well behaved children should be welcomed no matter what their age. As long as you are not counting on other kids being around to help entertain them I would say "Go for it." They are certainly welcome in the pool with me.:)

You are talking about young adults..I was talking about children up to about 12 or 13..sorry for the miscommunication..
Jancruz1

[capecodder2]

Thank you, Jancruz, I was thinking the same thing. 17 and 21 yr olds are not "children", nor do they race around and jump in a pool splashing everyone else, or scream through dinner throwing food all around from a high chair. Most young adults are lovely folks to talk to.

[tgg]

On their website, I see no mention of children. Is this not the right cruise line if you have children along?

On a recent cruise, we met a delightful family from Australia. The two daughters, age 9 and 13, were a pleasure to talk to. They had traveled all over the world with their parents and did not need to be amused with "kid" activities. My point? Only you know your children. Will they be happy on a ship without other kids? You probably know the answer.:)

[captainK]

I agree..we never see children aboard, my grandchildren would be bored stiff on Azamara
Jancruz1

On the Aug.9th Quest cruise there were two or three children who were running wild around the pool area all day jumping from the hot tubs into the pool slashing everyone. Eventually a gentleman in the pool yelled out to them rather sternly to stop with the jumping. He spoke English and they spoke French so in one ear and out the other. When this didn't make any difference he yelled out to people by the pool as to who these children belonged two. The parents were either sleeping, reading or were no where to be seen. The next day it continued and security made their subtle presence known. The children pointed out their parents to staff who briefly spoke with them after which the parents proceeded to argue with security and the kids continued with their onslaught. Again, in one ear and out the other. The parents went back to their books or suntanning.

If you were on the pool deck for any length of time, these few children we saw on this same cruise made their presence known and there were a number of upset passengers with their antics.
On the other hand there were a few other children and teens who were so well behaved you wouldn't have known they were on board.

[brian_uk]

I was in the Pool when the first incident happened and I thought the Adult rather lost his cool.....screaming at the top of his voice " WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS " and as CaptainK says...there was a silence. These particular kids were ill behaved as they were jumping in from all angles and heights......HOWEVER it is a POOL and it is for all passengers including any kids on board and I have no objection to being splashed by either adults or kids having fun in a normal way.

Brian

[captainK]

I was in the Pool when the first incident happened and I thought the Adult rather lost his cool.....screaming at the top of his voice " WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS " and as CaptainK says...there was a silence. These particular kids were ill behaved as they were jumping in from all angles and heights......HOWEVER it is a POOL and it is for all passengers including any kids on board and I have no objection to being splashed by either adults or kids having fun in a normal way.

Brian

I agree with you Brian, it is for everyone to use.
The signage around the pool however specifically states 'no running' and 'no diving' in addition to saying that children using the pool are to do so only under the supervision of their parents. From what I saw on a few days, there was lots of running and jumping and diving and climbing and absolutely no supervision.
The rules are in place to protect both the people in the pool as well as the children who are disregarding them.

[SunDapple]

I would say it depends a lot on the age and maturity level of your children. I am going on the May 29th, 2010 sailing to Med. and Holy lands and I am taking my 3 children, but my children are more like young adults. I have a son that will be 21 and twin daughters that will be 17. They don't care a thing about any kind of kids activities. They love exploring the ports during the day and enjoy meeting new people and engaging in the lost art of good conversation while on ship. We have a group of friends and family with a couple other older teens and another 20 year old. I think any well behaved children should be welcomed no matter what their age. As long as you are not counting on other kids being around to help entertain them I would say "Go for it." They are certainly welcome in the pool with me.:)

My experience on the Quest was in 2007, the Panama Canal Holiday cruise. There were over 30 children on board according to various crew members, but I do think that number included all "kids" under 18, not just young children. Those who were truly children were bored to distraction. The only activity on board for them, other than the pool, was a single Wii set up in the Discoveries lounge. There was not enough entertainment for the young adults (18 - 26) on board either, and the staff would not set apart a time when they could use the Wii in the lounge too.
Those who were 21 were, of course, allowed into the lounges at night, but they discriminated against the 18 -21 year olds. I suppose this was to prohibit them from drinking, however since this age group already had cruise cards that identified them as under drinking age, I saw no problem with them being in the bars as long as they were not being served alcohol. Afterall, they just wanted to dance in the Disco.
I have not sailed with Azamara since, and I hope this has been addressed, as it was difficult for some of my family to enjoy themselves. Now, two years later, my young adults are 21 and older and so for us it would be no problem, however I know that they would still be bored unless there were quite a few others in their age group with whom they could "hang out" and converse. Port days are never a problem, it's evenings, and those long days at sea that drag for them.

Just be aware that there really is nothing for them to do.

[Our Passport Stamps]

So, I haven't been on Azamara BUT I've spent A LOT of time on the Pacific Princess

in addition to that I started cruising over 30 years ago as a young child when there was NOTHING geared to me.

As parents you need to do your homework on what each cruisline and ship are geared for, what they provide etc etc. just because there's a kids program on other ships that are larger doesn't mean ANY accomadations now need to be made because there are kids onboard Azamara. For the record there is no kids program on the Pacific, Tahitian and Royal Princess all sister ships to Azamara.

and to get cranky because of that is unfair to each component of the equation. that's just life and there are other cruiselines to choose from that will fulfill your family's needs at this time

There is a card room on both and if the ships staff has time or the resources they MIGHT put something together to be hosted in there...but probably not and definately not daily.

With that said...

Myself as child and many other kids that I have seen on the Pacific Princess recently..come from the background that their parents have raised seasoned travellers. They are polite and social with people of all ages and demographics. As I was and the kids I've seen on the Pacific Princess many times. are perfectly capable of entertaining themselves with a book, a puzzle in the library, an ipod, participating in adult based games ..such as ping pong, golf putting, shuffle board along with the tournaments for each. They also seem to be VERY intrigued as I was to learn from others about their lives and the ports we were visiting.

Only you know your child and what is best for your child. I do believe the success of your cruise is based on the preparation you have done with your family ON LAND before you leave.

Personally, I loved traveling and remember as early as 5 years old.
My parents encouraged learning about other countries, cultures and customs. Cruising was better than ANY textbook or class lecture They also included me in all decision making in our vacations and laid out the pros and cons of being on a cruise ship..when I agreed I KNEW what I was agreeing to...HOWEVER, at the same time it was made perfectly clear that if I misbehaved and did not treat others like I would want to be treated
then I was staying home. period. non negotiable.
and I can assure you they were serious. I tested it ONCE..in a Bob's Big Boy after drinking my milkshake I slid under the booth and refused to get back on my seat even after they counted to 3. It was 6 months before I ever sipped a shake again. 37 years later I still remember

just my 02 cents

[lisiamc]

My experience on the Quest was in 2007, the Panama Canal Holiday cruise. There were over 30 children on board according to various crew members, but I do think that number included all "kids" under 18, not just young children. Those who were truly children were bored to distraction. The only activity on board for them, other than the pool, was a single Wii set up in the Discoveries lounge. There was not enough entertainment for the young adults (18 - 26) on board either, and the staff would not set apart a time when they could use the Wii in the lounge too.
Those who were 21 were, of course, allowed into the lounges at night, but they discriminated against the 18 -21 year olds. I suppose this was to prohibit them from drinking, however since this age group already had cruise cards that identified them as under drinking age, I saw no problem with them being in the bars as long as they were not being served alcohol. Afterall, they just wanted to dance in the Disco.
I have not sailed with Azamara since, and I hope this has been addressed, as it was difficult for some of my family to enjoy themselves. Now, two years later, my young adults are 21 and older and so for us it would be no problem, however I know that they would still be bored unless there were quite a few others in their age group with whom they could "hang out" and converse. Port days are never a problem, it's evenings, and those long days at sea that drag for them.

Just be aware that there really is nothing for them to do.




As far as I can see it was already addressed in Azamara's material on their website. In the FAQ, it clearly states:

"Although individuals of all ages are welcome to sail with Azamara Cruises, the sophisticated design of the accommodations and intimate venues on the ships -- as well as the off-the-beaten-path destinations they visit - were designed for adult vacationers. Therefore, babysitting services and children's programming cannot be accommodated, allowing our staff to focus entirely on delivering the upscale, deluxe experience Azamara aims to deliver."

I don't see anything there that would lead me to expect any concessions for children of any age.

I don't agree that every cruise line has to be family-friendly. There are many other cruise lines which do cater to children of all ages, and also to young adults under the drinking age.

Lisa

[cardonacasa]

no offense to parents(as I am a parent of two teenagers), but I chose to cruise Azamara BECAUSE it is an adult geared cruise line with no childrens program. I really don't want to hear kids squealing and crying on my dream vacation. There are SO MANY cruise lines that are wonderful for families of all ages-why choose a cruise line that specifically DOES NOT cater to children?? Please reconsider if you have not already booked.

But that said, well behaved teenagers who don't mind adult company-I don't see anything wrong with that.

[librarygirl]

Too funny, here I am trolling for feedback on the kids- running, diving, jumping from the hot tubs on the Quest - the Best of Italy Sept 09.... and here it is. I knew someone would chat about it.

Bottom line: the passengers on the Quest should not have had to handle the situation themselves. Do you know that even after security came to speak with the mother from France and after a number of people complained at the Guest Relations desk, the lack of parental supervision continued? The mothers were sometimes there with their heads in a magazine and the little Russian's father left the ship for most of the trip on "business"

Not one staff member on that ship was concerned that there could have been a severe head injury, the kids easily could have jumped on an elderly woman passenger... the possibly of a major injury was there. That is why the "No Diving" ... horseplay and running around the pool signs are clearly posted.

The only person who stopped all the silliness was one of the casino managers who overheard passengers discussing the situation over the games' tables. He quote: "was able to speak to the right person". Then the diving and jumping in the pool stopped. It was a situation of accidents waiting to happen.

I agree kids are lovely, but Azamara is not the right choice for families to have a super time if they need activities and amusements.

Also as a member of the ship's crew observed quietly, children are like passing gas, your own are really the best. (Sorry I just had to put that in- I hope no one is offended, but it says it all)

[captainK]

Too funny, here I am trolling for feedback on the kids- running, diving, jumping from the hot tubs on the Quest - the Best of Italy Sept 09.... and here it is. I knew someone would chat about it.

Bottom line: the passengers on the Quest should not have had to handle the situation themselves. Do you know that even after security came to speak with the mother from France and after a number of people complained at the Guest Relations desk, the lack of parental supervision continued? The mothers were sometimes there with their heads in a magazine and the little Russian's father left the ship for most of the trip on "business"

Not one staff member on that ship was concerned that there could have been a severe head injury, the kids easily could have jumped on an elderly woman passenger... the possibly of a major injury was there. That is why the "No Diving" ... horseplay and running around the pool signs are clearly posted.

The only person who stopped all the silliness was one of the casino managers who overheard passengers discussing the situation over the games' tables. He quote: "was able to speak to the right person". Then the diving and jumping in the pool stopped. It was a situation of accidents waiting to happen.

For a few days we watched it all happen on the front lines but would never had guessed that when the chips were down it would eventually be resolved in the casino. The parents were obviously not going to do anything about it between sleeping and reading. As you say, security initially attempted to resolve the problem as it continued poolside on another day but then rather feebly gave up a half hour later.
A different kind of poolside entertainment I guess.

[lisiamc]

when the chips were down it would eventually be resolved in the casino.

<snort!> :D

Lisa